Hay Feeder Design Impacts Feeding Losses

Hay Feeder Design Impacts Feeding Losses

Dr. Dan Buskirk, Michigan State University

SimTalk

For many cow-calf operations, harvested forages, in the form of large round bales, represent the single largest cost in maintaining the cowherd. Although round bales are relatively efficient packages for harvest- ing, transporting, and storing forages, they can contribute to significant feed waste.

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Registration opens for 2010 Cattle Industry Convention

Registration opens for 2010 Cattle Industry Convention

Drovers

More than 5,000 people involved in the cattle industry are expected to attend the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show to be held in San Antonio, Texas Jan. 25-30. The annual event is the largest cattle industry event in the country and this year’s convention and trade show offers more education, entertainment and excitement than ever.

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Mycotoxins are a Significant Issue in Grains and Feeds

Mycotoxins are a Significant Issue in Grains and Feeds

Stephen B. Blezinger, Ph.D., PAS

Cattle Today

Part 1

Every year about this time cattlemen are taking a serious look at how they are going to feed/supplement their cattle through the winter. In many if not all cases there is a focus on how this can be done as cheaply as possible. This just makes good economic sense as long as attention is given to performance. Often this process exposes the cattle producer to a variety of feeds and ingredients from which to evaluate and ultimately choose.

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Winter Rations for Beef Calves

Winter Rations for Beef Calves

David L. Lalman, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri

Stocker calves, weighing from 350 to 500 pounds, are wintered on a variety of rations on Missouri farms. The feedstuffs available and the desired rate of gain on the calves determine the ration.

The first step in formulating a winter ration for your calves is to decide upon the daily rate of gain you want the calves to make. (Remember, weight gain is the product you have to sell.) Calves weighing 350 to 500 pounds will cost more per pound than calves will bring when sold at a heavier weight.

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Planning the Feeding of Your Beef Herd This Winter

Planning the Feeding of Your Beef Herd This Winter

Dr. John F. Currin, Extension Veterinary Specialist, VA Tech; Dr. Mark A. McCann, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, VA Tech

Many producers have been asking questions about supplementing their beef cattle herd.  There are three things people need to know when deciding how they are going to feed the beef herd this year.

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Local farmer leads way in conservation

Local farmer leads way in conservation

Marlene Taylor

Knoxnews.com

It’s not your grandpa’s farm. Not with a solar-powered water pump and heat-tolerant, drought-resistant grass for livestock grazing.

To Ron Wallace, fancy farm technology is just a more sensible way of getting back to his farm-boy roots. His hilly, 185-acre farm in East Knoxville abuts 1,000 feet of the Holston River, which flows from the mountains of Virginia to merge with the French Broad. The two rivers form the Tennessee River that flows through Knoxville.

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Want to help reach 350 ppm? Stop eating meat!

Want to help reach 350 ppm? Stop eating meat!

Joseph Jamison

Mountain Xpress

Editor’s note: Stories of this ilk are included in the blog to inform those in our industry how agriculture is being presented to and perceived by the public.

With all the recent 350 ppm hoopla, I am astonished at the lack of mention regarding the effects of animal agriculture on, well, everything. The surrounding events hit all the basics — land, water, energy, pollution — yet nothing and no one focused on the biggest contributor to all of these topics.

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Beef reproduction meeting scheduled in Kansas

Beef reproduction meeting scheduled in Kansas

KTIC

The Beef Reproduction Task Force and the National Cattlemen´s Beef Association is teaming up to offer the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Workshop at the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio Jan. 28-29, 2010.

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Prescribed burning a tool for brush management

Prescribed burning a tool for brush management

Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M University

Southwest Farm Press

The sprawling JA Ranch has seen its share of fires – some intentionally set and some not. Ranch managers now are looking at the results of the fires to help determine how prescribed fire could be used for brush management on their property.

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Changing the meat industry means higher prices

Changing the meat industry means higher prices

Canada.com

If you are searching for signs that today’s high food prices won’t last, the latest report on the meat industry isn’t promising. In May, a distinguished panel of scientists and meat industry officials concluded that the current "factory farm" method for mass-producing meat poses so many threats to public health — contaminated water supplies and deadly epidemics of E. coli, for example — that the entire system needs to go.

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Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days to focus on management strategies

Minnesota Cattle Feeder Days to focus on management strategies

Brandoninfo.com

The 2009 Minnesota Cattle Feeder Day swill be held Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the Blue Mound Banquet Center in Luverne, Minn. This year’s program will focus on management strategies to improve feedlot profitability.

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Washington roundup includes animal ID, other legislation

Washington roundup includes animal ID, other legislation

Pat Kopecki

Wilson County News

The environmental issues currently being discussed by congressmen on Capitol Hill were brought to the back 40 when Jess Peterson, executive vice president of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA), addressed area cattlemen Oct. 14 during a town hall meeting. Members of the South Texas Independent Cattlemen’s Association sponsored the meeting.

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Former K-State meats professor named distinguished alumni

Former K-State meats professor named distinguished alumni

Pat Melgares

Kansas State University Research & Extension

Kansas State University has honored a former professor whose influence in the meat industry has been felt across the United States.

Dell Allen, who graduated from K-State in 1961 with a degree in animal sciences and later taught at the university for 22 years, was recognized as the 2009 Animal Sciences and Industry Distinguished Alumnus during a day-long visit to campus on Nov. 6.

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DNA Selection – The Basics

DNA Selection – The Basics

Dr. Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist, VA Tech

Advances in science can be rather mind-boggling when one stops and thinks about it.  Scientific discovery in humans is providing us great opportunity in the livestock sector.  Mapping of the human genome has led to the mapping of the bovine genome (and other species).

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Mont. ranchers say price of young cattle rising

Mont. ranchers say price of young cattle rising

KNEB

Montana cattle ranchers are seeing higher prices for younger cattle, as buyers look for animals that won’t be fat enough for market until the economy improves.

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